Russia eye Advocaat appointment

MOSCOW - Russia have settled on Dick Advocaat to replace fellow Dutchman Guus Hiddink as national team coach, Sport-Expess reported on Wednesday.

Published

17 March 2010

The newspaper, quoting a source within the Russian FA, said an official announcement on Advocaat, who is currently in charge of the Belgium national team, would be be made soon.

New Russian FA president Sergei Fursenko was unavailable for comment on Wednesday.

Fursenko knows Advocaat well from their time together at Zenit St Petersburg.

Fursenko, then Zenit president, hired the Dutchman in 2006 and the following year the club won their first Russian league title in nearly a quarter of a century. The year after he led them to victory in the UEFA Cup.

As well as coaching Belgium, the 62-year-old Advocaat is in charge of Dutch club AZ Alkmaar until the end of May.

Hiddink's contract with Russia expires on July 15.

Local media quoted Advocaat as saying last month that he would consider the Russia job if it was offered to him.